Defendant in Weymouth triple homicide sent to county jail

Donald Rudolph, 18, of Weymouth, accused of killing his mother, sister and mother’s boyfriend, has been sent to jail after not participating in a court-ordered mental health exam, his attorney said.

By Patrick Ronan

The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA

By Patrick Ronan

Posted Dec. 23, 2011 at 12:01 AM
Updated Dec 23, 2011 at 11:05 PM

By Patrick Ronan

Posted Dec. 23, 2011 at 12:01 AM
Updated Dec 23, 2011 at 11:05 PM

QUINCY

» Social News

A Weymouth man accused of killing his mother, his sister and his mother’s boyfriend has been sent to jail after not participating in a court-ordered mental health exam, the defendant’s attorney said.

Donald Rudolph, 18, was ordered to be held without bail at the Norfolk County jail Thursday during a hearing in Quincy District Court. He is accused of bludgeoning to death Paula Rudolph, 50, Caylin Rudolph, 24, and Frederick Medina, 52, of East Bridgewater, on Nov. 10 in Paula Rudolph’s Weymouth home on Upland Road.

Donald Rudolph was previously being held at Bridgewater State Hospital to undergo a psychological assessment. He did not cooperate with hospital personnel or his legal counsel during the evaluation, said John Darrell, Rudolph’s court-appointed attorney.

“They have made no determination as to whether or not he is competent,” Darrell said. “There is nothing in the last 40 days that they could rely on to say he is a danger to himself or others.

“Norfolk County House of Correction has been put on notice, and they may want to watch him closely and see what happens.”

Rudolph appeared in court dressed in a long-sleeved green shirt. He showed no emotion during the proceedings, which lasted several minutes.

His father, also named Donald, and his older sister, Brittany Rudolph, attended the hearing. After the defendant was escorted out of the courtroom, Brittany comforted her crying father.

Donald Rudolph has a probable-cause hearing scheduled for Jan. 20 in Quincy District Court, but Darrell said his client will likely be indicted by a grand jury before that date, transferring the case to Superior Court.

Rudolph’s Dec. 2 court hearing was pushed back 20 days because Bridgewater State Hospital officials said they needed more time to evaluate the defendant.

Darrell said he doesn’t know if his client’s lack of participation is intentional or if it’s related to a psychological disorder. Rudolph’s friends and neighbors said he has a history of mental illness.

“My guess is that we’ll have this competency issue raised again at some point down the line,” Darrell said.